The Knighton Runs Podcast · Chris Knighton

79 | How to Train for the Half Marathon

·26 min

Coach Chris opens by calling the half marathon a unique road race. It asks for the right mix of speed and endurance. He points out that some runners can handle 5K or 10K pace well. Those same runners may still fall apart over the half marathon. He makes the opposite point too. Some marathoners are very strong over 26.2 miles. Their half-marathon pace can still look only slightly faster than marathon pace. That contrast sets up the rest of the episode. The half marathon, he says, is a solid test of being well-rounded. He then turns to training for it. He separates half-marathon training from marathon training. He also argues that marathoners should periodically train specifically for the half marathon. In the race-specific phase, which he puts about two to two and a half months before the race, he recommends longer speed workouts. He describes 10K-pace intervals as a strong option. That pace is a little faster than half-marathon pace. He explains why that helps both speed development and endurance. He gives examples such as 400s, 800s, 1200s, 1600s, and miles at 10K pace. He then walks through recovery. Recovery can be a jog for close to the same amount of time as the interval, or up to equal time. He uses a four-by-800 example to show how that works in practice. The exact recovery can vary by athlete. He then shifts to the other key workout. Half-marathoners also need a weekly endurance-building session. That workout should continue through both the speed-development phase and the race-specific phase. In the earlier phase, it can be shorter and faster. In the later phase, it can become longer and slower. He links that shift to a fast-to-slow training philosophy. The practical point is straightforward. Keep building speed, but do it in a way that also builds durability. Do that long enough, and half-marathon pace should feel less demanding. He closes by pointing listeners to his Half Marathon Mastery program. He also mentions a free preview edition of his book Run Faster Marathons. The episode stays focused on practical half-marathon training advice throughout.

As heard by us

A clear half-marathon lesson on speed, endurance, and why both matter.

The half marathon is treated as a test that asks for both speed and endurance, and that point comes through clearly. It argues that runners who handle shorter races well can still find the longer effort demanding, while marathoners also have reason to keep the half in their…

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Why you'd press play

Train the half like it asks for both gears, because it does.

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